disputatione

Disputatione is a Latin noun form meaning “in the disputation,” or more generally “by disputation.” It is the ablative singular of disputatio, a word that denotes a formal debate, argument, or discussion. The related verb disputare means to discuss, argue, or weigh objections and positions. The noun disputatio itself refers to a structured exercise in argument or to the act of disputing.

In medieval and early modern scholastic contexts, disputationes were central to university pedagogy. A disputatione, or disputation, was a public teaching exercise in which a thesis was presented and defended by a respondent against prepared objections and questions from opponents. The typical format featured a question or proposition, a defense or exposition by the proponent, a sequence of objections, and a formal reply. This method underpinned debates in philosophy, theology, and canon or civil law, and gave rise to numerous works organized as quaestiones disputatae (disputed questions) and other contested topics.

The term persists in Latin or Latinized scholarly language to describe similar argumentative procedures or to denote acts of argumentation more generally. In modern usage, “disputation” in English and related terms in other languages derive from disputatio and are used to describe formal debates, scholarly theses, or contested topics, often with historical reference to the medieval disputationes of universities or to ecclesiastical disputations.

See also: disputatio, disputation, quaestiones disputatae.